Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

Our Miraculous Microbiome Is Under Threat Our microbiome, the collection of microbes that live in and on our bodies, is under threat. Antibiotics, processed foods, and even stress can disrupt the delicate balance of our gut bacteria, leading to a range of health problems. Problems with our gut microbiome could be factors in the rise of diabetes, obesity, food allergies and even developmental disorders like autism. We talk with  filmmakers Sarah Schenck and Steven Lawrence about their film The Invisible Extinction. It’s about the threats to our life-supporting microbiome and the scientists racing to save our vanishing microbes before it’s too late. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Key words: microbiome, biodiversity, documentary, Sarah Schenck, Steven Lawrence, film, podcast, diabetes, obesity, health, autism The Invisible Extinction People living in modern societies are experiencing an “Invisible Extinction” of the biodiversity of organisms in our bodies, with serious consequences for our health. And it’s happening even faster than the climate crisis. In their film The Invisible Extinction, Sarah Schenck and Steven Lawrence follow scientists Gloria Dominguez-Bello and Marty Blaser into places like the Amazonian jungle to find out what is killing our microbes and what we can do about it. They also talk to researchers in China and Israel, who are on the hunt for cures to common diseases that may be caused by the loss of diversity in our gut microbiome. About the Filmmakers Sarah Schenck is a writer, director, and producer who makes films to advance public health. Previous films include Virgin, the comedy Slippery Slope and an episode for the PBS weekly news program “Need to Know,” that focused on childhood obesity. Steven Lawrence is a producer-director who has been making documentaries for over 30 years, including The Cat Rescuers, winner of the 2018 Hamptons International Film Festival animal rights award. He worked Michael Apted on several films, including The Long Way Home and Married In America and created the Emmy-award winning series Born In The USSR. Interview Transcript  

How can we make the change we need to save our future? I spent a lot of time studying how we as collective agents of history have helped foment enormous change and also how we have failed at it. That was another important element, to look at the revolutions that did not work. Because unlike basically every one of those revolutions, this is something we can’t miss on. We’re not going to get a do-over on this. It’s now or never.  — Stephen Markley We talk with Stephen Markley about his acclaimed new novel about the climate crisis, The Deluge. It lays out the different paths that may be taken to changing the political will to tackle climate, the unintended consequences they lead to, and the twists and turns of political, ecological and individual fates that intertwine and react with each other. Then we talk about what we can do in our own lives to protect our planet from climate disaster. We air excerpts from our interviews with Peter Kalmus (Being The Change) and Darr Reilly of Carbon C.R.E.W. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. We Can Solve The Climate Crisis We have the science, the technology and the money to deal with the climate crisis. Solar and wind are the cheapest forms of energy. Yes, we can improve on the tech and drive costs even lower. But basically, we know how to get to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which scientists tell us can avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. And good news! It turns out that once the world reaches net zero, global temperatures will stop going up in as soon as three to five years. And half of human-made CO2 emissions would drop out of the atmosphere within about 30 years. We can do this. The Real Barrier to Climate Action So what’s stopping us? In short, political will. And the lack of political will in tackling the climate crisis is driven by two other crises: the crisis of economic inequality, which drives the crisis of democracy. That’s the key takeaway from Stephen Markely’s brilliant and engrossing new novel, The Deluge. Different Paths to Action on Climate The book lays out the different paths that may be taken to changing the political will to tackle climate, the unintended consequences they lead to, and the twists and turns of political, ecological and individual fates that intertwine and react with each other. How could a pro-climate mass movement get created?

Spring is here and the birds are returning. But the roar of the leaf blowers is a big turn-off to our feathered friends: Right now they’re starting to migrate back in from Central and South America and either coming through or stopping to stay and breed. And if they’re going to a spot where there’s this constant noise, well, why are they going to want to nest there? We talk with Nancy Lawson about her book, Wildscape: Trilling Chipmunks, Beckoning Blooms, Salty Butterflies, And Other Sensory Wonders Of Nature. It’s about the vibrant web of nature outside our back door—where animals and plants perceive and communicate using marvelous sensory abilities we are only beginning to understand. Then, a novel links the Pandora myth to a young namesake in Jane Austen’s London — and a mystery that must be solved. Susan Stokes Chapman tells us about Pandora. What We Are Missing and Messing Up About The Nature Around Us As Writer’s Voice celebrates Earth Month, we are watching the Earth come alive with the new Spring season. But how much of the wildscape around us do we really appreciate? How much of it can we truly see, hear or smell? And how much of it are we disturbing and suppressing with our heedless pursuit of perfect lawns and gardens filled with fancy exotics? Naturalist Nancy Lawson’s first book, The Humane Gardener, explored the importance of creating habitats for wildlife in our own backyards by creating diverse ecosystems with pollinator-friendly native plants and other wildlife-friendly practices. The Five Senses of the WIldscape Lawson’s new book Wildscape takes us deeper into understanding the secret lives of the animals, insects and plants that surround us. Lawson takes readers on a fascinating tour of the vibrant web of nature outside our back door—where animals and plants perceive and communicate using marvelous sensory abilities we are only beginning to understand. Organized into chapters investigating each of their five senses, Lawson’s exploration reveals a remarkable world of interdependent creatures with amazing capabilities. About the Author In addition to WIldscape, Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, a habitat consultant, and a national speaker on garden ecology. She founded Humane Gardener to pioneer creative planting strategies and other animal-friendly landscaping methods. A Turtle In Nancy Lawson’s Garden The Pandora Myth The Ancient Greek myth of Pandora is a cautionary tale about the dangers of female curiosity—curiosity that unleashes all the ills that plague Man. But what if that curiosity is actually a strength? One that expresses the power of female creativity? That’s a theme explored in Susan Stokes Chapman’s novel Pandora. A historical novel with touches of Gothic horror, good old-fashioned mystery and a fascinating look at the illegal trade in antiquities in London in 1799, Pandora is a cinematic and compelling work of fiction, where the discovery of a mysterious ancient Greek vase sets in motion conspiracies, revelations, and romance. Susan Stokes-Chapman is a writer based in North Wales. Pandora was first published in the UK in January 2022 and became an instant #1 bestseller. It came out in the US in January from Harper Perennial.

Oh, those pesky beavers, Interfering with our property values! Right? Wrong. We talk with Leila Philip about beavers, a keystone species that we need to protect as we face the challenges of climate chaos. Her book is Beaver Land: How One Weird Rodent Made America. Then, we missed it last week: the Day of Transgender Visibility. But with all the vicious rightwing attacks on transgender people and the fascist laws being passed against them, we thought “better late than never.” So, we bring you a piece from our archives that we first aired in 2019. It’s an excerpt from our interview with Mimi LeMay about her memoir What We Will Become. It’s about how her family learned to come to terms with the fact that their young child was transgender—and how they came to support him. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. April Is Earth Month Today, we begin our programming for 
Earth Month—because one day, Earth Day, is really not enough to celebrate this miraculous only world we’ve got. We’ll be featuring segments on the environment for the rest of April. Beaver Land We kick Earth Month off with Leila Philip’s wonderful book Beaver Land. An NPR Science Friday Book Club Selection and New York Times Editors’ Choice, Beaver Land is a fascinating exploration of one of the most important animals we hardly ever think of. Philip tells us how beavers engineered the landscape of North America. When they were nearly extirpated, we lost their “ecosystem services” to our detriment. And now, as we face the devastating impacts of climate chaos, beavers can play a key role in making us more resilient. But isn’t it the height of narcissism to always think about the worth of other animals from the point of view of what they can do for us? One of the key pleasures of reading Beaver Land is the wonderment and awe the reader feels in learning about this magnificent creature. Beavers have shaped the land for good. We can learn a mighty lesson about being good stewards of our planet from them. About The Author Leila Philip is an American writer, poet and educator. She is the author of award-winning books of nonfiction which have received glowing national reviews. In addition to Beaverland, her books include: A Family Place: A Hudson Valley Farm, Three Centuries, Five Wars, One Family, Hidden Dialogue: A Discussion Between Women in Japan and the United States, The Road Through Miyama) and one collection of poetry (Water Rising). Watch the trailer for The Beaver Believers Celebrating Transgender People 150 bills against transgender people are being considered in state legislatures across the country. This is an unprecedented number—but even one bill is too much. Back in 2019, when we interviewed Mimi LeMay about her book What We Will Become, it seemed like transgender people were finally beginning to get the respect and love they deserve. Her son Jacob knew he was a boy from the age of three, but his parents didn’t accept that fact until he was five. It hurts the heart to think what he must be going through now as he witnesses the mean-spirited bigotry and hatred driving so many Republicans as they try to take away his freedom to be himself.

We talk with Elsa Panciroli about her book, BEASTS BEFORE US: The Untold Story of Mammal Origins and Evolution. Delving into the fascinating and little-known history of mammal evolution, she provides a fascinating and uplifting look at the resilience of life on this planet, through the lens of how mammals came to be. Then, motivated by the pandemic lockdown, many people renewed a gardening tradition that was all the rage during WWII, the Victory garden. We kick off the gardening season talking with gardening book author Maggie Stuckey about The Container Victory Garden: A Beginners Guide To Growing Your Own Groceries. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Keywords: mammal evolution, paleontology, Elsa Panciroli, Beasts Before Us, University of Oxford, research fellow, science writers, container gardening, victory gardens, Maggie Stuckey, vegetable gardening When Did Mammals Get Their Start? Mammals like us got our start when the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago, right? No, actually. We began w-a-a-y before that, when the Earth had only one continent and centipedes the size of cars roamed the land. It was like an alien planet. Those creatures are long extinct, but mammals rebounded to spread throughout the globe. A New Understanding of Extinction Why is this important? Because, as we are now in the midst of the Sixth mass extinction event in the Earth’s history, we can learn a whole lot about life, extinction and regeneration from the 350 million-year-long mammal lineage we come from. Elsa Panciroli’s book Beasts Before Us provides a fascinating and uplifting look at the resilience of life on this planet, through the lens of how mammals came to be. It reframes the narrative of our mammalian ancestors and provides a counterpoint to the stereotypes of mighty dinosaur overlords and cowering little mammals. It turns out the earliest mammals weren’t just precursors, they were pioneers. About the Author Elsa Panciroli is a Scottish palaeontologist who studies the evolution and ecology of extinct animals. She is a researcher based at the University of Oxford and associate researcher at the National Museums of Scotland. Read an excerpt from Beasts Before Us Container Gardening Gardening season is heating up. Seedlings are sitting in home greenhouses and some are already in their beds — and containers. Some people rely on containers for home-grown veggies for convenient access and protection from pests. But many other folks rely on them for lack of space. Container Gardening is Tricky But gardening in containers can be tricky: they can get too little or too much water and it’s best to get varieties that thrive in small spaces. Maggie Stuckey’s new book The Container Victory Garden is a great guide for beginners. It also recounts the history of Victory Gardens, from their start in WWI to their flourishing in WWII, with stories about some of those gardeners of old. About The Author Maggie Stuckey is the author of numerous books about gardening, including Gardening From the Ground Up and The Complete Herb Book.  

Why does the Democratic Party struggle so much to win elections by comfortable margins (when it isn’t losing them) despite the fact that the Republicans are so extreme? Could there be a hint in the fact that so many ordinary Americans keep losing ground economically, no matter who holds the reins of power? Clearly, the myth of the American Dream isn’t working. In this episode, we talk first with Ed Burmila about his book, Chaotic Neutral: How the Democrats Lost Their Soul in the Center. Then, Alissa Quart of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project tells us about her just released new book, Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. And don’t forget to subscribe to Writer’s Voice and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Have The Democrats Lost Their Soul? In Chaotic Neutral, Burmila examines the Democratic Party’s shift towards the political center-right over the past three decades and argues that this has come at a great cost, both to the party and the country. He makes the case that the party has lost its soul and its ability to effectively represent its constituents, suggesting that it’s time for a new approach. The American Dream Doesn’t Work Anymore (it never did) The American Dream says, anyone can go from rags to riches by pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. It’s a cruel myth that Alissa Quart of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project explodes in her new book, Bootstrapped: Liberating Ourselves from the American Dream. In Bootstrapped, Quart explores the ways in which the “American Dream” has been sold to us as a means of achieving success and happiness, but has instead created a culture of overwork, burnout, and inequality. She provides practical solutions for breaking free from this cycle and creating a new American Dream based not on “rugged individualism” but on social solidarity. In this episode, we dive deep into these two important books and have a thought-provoking discussion about the state of American politics and culture. About the Authors Ed Burmila has written for the Nation magazine and the Washington Post and hosts the podcast Mass for Shut-ins. In addition to Bootstrapped, Alissa Quart is the author of four other nonfiction books, including Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America. She is the Executive Director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of two books of poetry, Thoughts and Prayers and Monetized.

We talk with Fintan O’Toole about his scathing — and tender — personal history of modern Ireland, We Don’t Know Ourselves. Then we hear Seamus Heaney reading a poem and a rare recording of storyteller Susan Porter reading from the Irish legend of Cuchulain. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. A Personal History of Modern Ireland As a journalist and critic for the Irish Times since 1988, Fintan O’Toole has had a front row seat on Ireland’s cultural, political and economic transformation from European backwater to center of global business. His bestselling book, We Don’t Know Ourselves: A Personal History Of Modern Ireland, is unsparing in its critique of those who ruled the country. But it’s a critique founded on a profound love for his long-beleaguered compatriots. And O’Toole draws a cautionary lesson for us here in the US, as the lines separating Church and State become ever more eroded. The Irish Theocracy When Fintan O’Toole was born in 1958, Ireland was perhaps the poorest country in Europe. Most of its people scrabbled out a meagre living on the land. The country’s main export, aside from cattle, was its own youth; facing bleak prospects at home, young people fled abroad to England, America and elsewhere in droves. “Religion and politics are pretty important things in and of themselves, but when you fuse them into a single identity, it actually becomes pretty toxic.” — Fintan O’Toole Ireland was also in the grip of what can only be described as a theocracy. The Catholic Church ruled over the most intimate aspects of people’s lives: the family, reproduction, sexuality, education and healthcare. Anything that violated the strict dictates of the Church was severely punished — except, of course, for the pedophilia rampant among the priesthood, which was ignored. Corruption reigned in both Church and State. The Irish Tiger Now Ireland is a global center for the technology and pharmaceutical industries. Abortion and gay marriage are legal. The gender apartheid that reigned of old has been overturned. Much has changed, although the Irish Tiger’s neoliberalism hasn’t put an end to corruption—it’s just altered the playing fields. About The Author Fintan O’Toole is a columnist for the Irish Times and teaches at Princeton University. He was drama critic for the New York Daily News, as well as the Irish Times, and is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books. A New York Times Bestseller, We Don’t Know Ourselves was named among the 10 best books of 2022. It’s now out in paperback from W.W.  Norton. Seamus Heaney’s Poem “Whatever You Say, Say Nothing” Susan Porter, the Story of Cuchulain During the 1960s hippie heyday of Big Sur, California, the storyteller Susan Porter recorded an album of Stories from Irish Mythology. Francesca’s father, Guido Teunissen, lived on Porter’s property in a house on a promontory overlookin...

We talk with historian Felicia Kornbluh about her book, A Woman’s Life Is a Human Life: My Mother, Our Neighbor, and the Journey from Reproductive Rights to Reproductive Justice. Then we re-air a clip from our conversation with Dolen Perkins-Valdez about the famous reproductive justice case that inspired her novel Take My Hand. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Key words: International Women’s Day, reproductive rights, reproductive justice, abortion rights, reproductive choice, Roe V. Wade, women’s history month, podcast Introduction This week’s episode celebrates International Women’s Day. It’s the first March 8 since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade, relegating women instantly to the status of second class citizens without control over their reproductive choices. Choice still exists in those states that protect it—but for how long? A decision could come soon banning access to abortion medication throughout the land. The fight continues: on March 7, five women sued the state of Texas after being denied medically necessary abortions, asserting the state’s draconian abortion ban threatens the lives and health of pregnant people. Reproductive Rights, Reproductive Justice We center our episode on the fight for reproductive choice. Our first guest is Felicia Kornbluh. Her book, A Woman’s Life Is A Human Life, chronicles the spell-binding story of how the first law legalizing abortion in the US was passed—in New York in 1970. But it also tells a second parallel story, the fight for reproductive justice, protecting poor women against involuntary sterilization. Both stories touched Kornbluh personally. Her mother, Beatrice Kornbluh-Braun, was prominent in the fight for abortion rights; her neighbor, Dr. Helen Rodriguez-Trias, who lived across the hall in her childhood home in a New York apartment building, was instrumental in the fight against involuntary sterilization of poor women of color. About the Author Felicia Kornbluh is Professor of History and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at the University of Vermont. She’s the author of two previous books, The Battle for Welfare Rights and Ensuring Poverty: Welfare Reform in Feminist Perspective. She has also served as a board member for Planned Parenthood. Listen to an Excerpt from A Woman’s Life Is a Human Life (Music Credit: Abortion Song by The New Haven Women’s Liberation Rock Band from the album Papa, Don’t Lay That Shit On Me, ℗ 2005 Rounder Records. Distributed by Concord.) Reproductive Justice: the Relf Sisters Case In her interview, Felicia Kornbluh spoke about the pivotal case for reproductive justice in the US, Relf v. Weinberger, which resulted in a prohibition against the use of federal funds for involuntary sterilization. Last September, we spoke with Dolen Perkins Valdez,

We talk with John de Graaf about his new film, Stewart Udall, The Politics of Beauty. It takes an in-depth look at the life and work of Stewart Udall, a man who played a pivotal role in shaping America’s conservation and environmental policies. Then we listen back to our 2007 interview with Les Leopold about his biography of labor leader and environmentalist Tony Mazzochi. Key Words: environment, conservation, labor, OSHA, biography, documentary film Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Background: Stewart Udall served as the Secretary of the Interior under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson from 1961 to 1969. During his time in office, he helped create national parks, protected wilderness areas, and advocated for conservation efforts. Udall was instrumental in passing important environmental legislation, such as the Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. Summary of the Film: John de Graaf’s film Stewart Udall, The Politics of Beauty explores Udall’s life and career, beginning with his childhood in Arizona and continuing through his time as Secretary of the Interior. The film features interviews with Udall’s family members, friends, and colleagues, as well as environmental activists and tribal members who worked with Udall on conservation efforts and the fight for justice for Navajo uranium miners. The film also delves into Udall’s personal life, including his marriage to Lee Udall, who was an environmental activist in her own right. Discussion: Director John de Graaf talks about his inspiration for making the film and shares some of the insights he gained while researching Udall’s life and career. We also discuss Udall’s impact on America’s conservation and environmental policies, and how his legacy continues to influence the conversation around these issues today. Udall Trailer 2:21 from Greg Davis on Vimeo. Tony Mazzochi, Labor Leader and Environmentalist During our first segment today, mention is made of the great labor leader and environmentalist Tony Mazzochi. Back in 2007, Writer’s Voice spoke with Les Leopold about his wonderful biography of Mazzochi, The Man Who Hated Work And Loved Labor. We re-air an extended excerpt from that interview. You can listen to the entire conversation here.

To celebrate Black History Month, we re-air our 2015 interview with acclaimed biographer James McGrath Morris about his biography, Eye on The Struggle: Ethel Payne, First Lady Of The Black Press. Description Black History Month honors the vital contributions made by African Americans throughout history, including the important role they played in the civil rights movement. One of the unsung heroes of this movement was Ethel Payne. In this special podcast episode, acclaimed biographer James McGrath Morris discusses his biography of Payne, Eye on the Struggle, and sheds light on her remarkable life and legacy. Through Morris’s captivating storytelling, listeners can gain a deeper understanding of the crucial role of the black press in the civil rights movement and the ongoing fight for equality. Keywords: Black History Month, Ethel Payne, First Lady of the Black Press, civil rights movement, James McGrath Morris, biography, Eye on the Struggle, Washington Press Corps, White House Press Corps, Chicago Defender, Martin Luther King Jr., Emmet Till, McCarthyism, Pulitzer. Introduction The great civil rights struggles of the mid-twentieth century, with their emphasis on non-violent political action, depended crucially on press coverage to gain impact and, ultimately, success. But their stories may have gone untold were it not for newspapers like the Chicago Defender and other organs of the black press. They broke the stories that the white mainstream media picked up and disseminated to a wider audience. Yet few in that wider audience even knew of the existence of the black press. First Lady of the Black Press, Ethel Payne Perhaps no reporter was more important Ethel Payne, star reporter and Washington Press Corps correspondent for the Chicago Defender, the black press’ paper of record from the years of the Great Migration through the civil rights movement. Dubbed “the First Lady of the black press,” she told the world about a young leader emerging out of the civil rights movement in Atlanta named Martin Luther King, Jr. She told the story of Emmet Till’s mother, who had to view the badly mutilated body of her 14 year old son after the brutal beating that took his life. She hammered a nail into the coffin of McCarthyism when she reported on the persecution of a lowly African-American Pentagon employee absurdly accused on being a Communist spy. The first African American woman to be part of the White House Press Corps, she courageously buttonholed presidents with searching questions about racial prejudice and civil rights. Unlike many of her colleagues then and now, she was no mere stenographer but held the powerful to account for their policies and views. James McGrath Morris Brings Payne’s Biography To Life Yet few Americans have ever heard of Ethel Payne, much less understood the giant role she played in reporting the story of civil rights in America. James McGrath’s spellbinding biography of Payne, Eye on the Struggle: Ethel Payne, the First Lady of the Black Press, corrects the oversight, bringing Payne’s story to light within the context of her history-making times. In addition to Eye on the Struggle, James McGrath Morris is the author of the acclaimed biography Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power and two other books. He produced the following video clip about Payne.

We speak with Chetna Maroo about her debut novel, Western Lane. It’s a beautifully written coming of age story about a young girl and her British Indian family who are trying to come to terms with the recent death of the family matriarch. Then, for Black History Month, we hear my 2008 interview with Ta-Nahisi Coates about his first book, The Beautiful Struggle: Between the World and Me. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Chetna Maroo Introduction: In this episode, we sit down with Chetna Maroo, the author of Western Lane, a moving and beautifully written novel that explores the complexities of grief, sisterhood, and becoming an athlete. Maroo’s debut novel offers a powerful and intimate look into the life of a young girl and her British Indian family as they navigate the recent loss of their matriarch and find ways to heal and move forward. Interview Segment: During our conversation, Maroo shares her inspiration for the novel and her creative process, discussing the themes of sisterhood, family, and recovery from loss. We dive into the characters and their development, from the 11-year-old protagonist Gopi to her older sisters and father, exploring how each character’s unique experiences and perspectives shape the narrative. We also discuss the role of sports in the novel, particularly squash, and how it serves as a means for Gopi to find her own strength and capacity for renewal. Maroo shares her own personal experiences with the sport and how it helped her shape the character of Gopi. Conclusion: “Western Lane” is a powerful and deeply moving novel that offers a unique and poignant perspective on the journey of grief, sisterhood, and personal growth. We hope this episode inspires listeners to read and explore Maroo’s evocative prose and the themes of the novel, from tradition and culture to identity and personal growth. Join us to learn more about this remarkable debut novel and the talented author behind it. Chetna Maroo’s stories have appeared in anthologies and literary magazines. She won the 2022 Plimpton Prize for Fiction. Ta-Nehisi Coates Reflects on His Memoir “The Beautiful Struggle” (for Black History Month) Ta Nahisi Coates on “respect”: On the news, you know, whenever you hear about people talking about Black youth and their “respect killings” — you know, somebody got shot over respect — people look at these folks like they’re crazy. In fact, respect is what people lean on when they have nothing else. It’s just true of everyone. Now, I’m not defending that, obviously. But if you feel like you have nothing else to live with, that’s all you got when your back is to the wall. Introduction: In honor of Black History Month, we re-air our 2008 interview with award-winning author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates to discuss his memoir The Beautiful Struggle. Coates’ powerful and poignant work delves into his experiences growing up in Baltimore during the 1980s and 1990s, and the impact of his father’s activism and teachings on his own journey towards self-discovery. Interview Segment: During our conversation,

We talk with V, formerly known as Eve Ensler about her collection of essays and poems, Reckoning. Then in honor of Black History Month, we listen back to my 2019 interview with DaMaris Hill about her narrative in verse, A Bound Woman Is A Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration Of African-American Women From Harriet Tubman To Sandra Bland. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. I sometimes wonder, is it harder to go through violence or to witness violence? Is it harder to see those that you love go through a terrible experience or to actually go through it yourself? I think sometimes they’re equally painful, but I think I’ve also had this incredible privilege and honor to travel this world and to sit with women across this planet who told me their stories, shared their deepest secrets with me, opened their hearts to me, so I could be part of the listening part of the receiving of those stories. And you know, at times it’s been very, very hard. But I also feel I’ve also been privy to those women transforming that pain into so much beauty, so much wisdom, gardens and healings and organizations and struggle that has grown into this massive global movement. V When Eve Ensler first put on her play The Vagina Monologues, she set off a reckoning on the part of women all over the world with the violence and oppression that they had experienced at the hands of a patriarchal system. She went on to meet with women victims of the violence of war—in Kosovo, Congo and elsewhere—and hear their stories of horrific abuse. But also to witness their courage and their creation of communities of resilience. Then Ensler came to a reckoning of her own—with the horrific abuse she had suffered as a child as the hands of her father. We spoke with her about her book about that personal reckoning, The Apology, in 2019. Now, she’s renamed herself “V”—her “freedom name”, as she calls it— and she’s come out with Reckoning, a powerful collection of writings that sum up the personal and political reckonings with patriarchy she has been making throughout her long career. Listen to our 2019 interview with V about The Apology DaMaris Hill Back in 2019, we spoke with poet and author DaMaris Hill about her narrative in verse, A Bound Woman Is A Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration Of African-American Women From Harriet Tubman To Sandra Bland. In honor of Black History Month, we replay that interview.  

We talk with Korean American writer Heinz Insu Fenkl about his autobiographical novel Skull Water. It’s about his youth in Korea as the son of a Korean mother and German-American father, the trauma of war and the dizzying transformation of Korea from the old ways to modern life. Then, jelly fish, bugs and garbage, oh my! We talk with marine scientist Dr. Stephanie Wear about the importance—and the joys — of “eating ugly.” She hosts the new documentary series Eating Ugly, on Discovery+. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Heinz Insu Fenkl Growing up in a military family as the son of a Korean mother and German-American father, Heinz Insu Fenkl got both an insider’s and an outsider’s view of post-war South Korea. The insider part came from his closeness to his Korean family, especially his Big Uncle, a geomancer and failed scholar. From his uncle and other relatives, he imbibed the stories and legends of old Korea. He also heard tell of the terrible traumas of the Korean war. These stories form one thread of the book that takes place in 1950. The outsider part came from being a mixed race kid in high school, who found his only friends among a group of other mixed race kids like himself. Their adventures—and misadventures—form the coming-of-age story that forms the other thread of the book, that follows his character Insu in the year 1974. Heinz Insu Fenkl teaches creative writing and Asian studies at the State University of New York, New Paltz. His previous novel Memories of My Ghost Brother was named a PEN/Hemingway Award finalist. Read the New Yorker story Five Arrows based on an excerpt from Skull Water Dr. Stephanie Wear More that 30% of food is wasted globally—and as much as 50% in the US. That comes to about 1.4 billion tons of food worldwide, enough to feed 2 billion people. Each year, the food the US wastes emits as much greenhouse gases as 42 coal-fired power plants. So how to cut down on waste? One way, according to Dr. Stephanie Wear, is to “eat ugly.” That’s the title of a new Discovery + series she hosts. The series highlights groundbreaking food pioneers who are already making important and fascinating progress in changing the way we eat, from jelly fish to bugs and more. Dr. Stephanie Wear works for Conservation International. “Eat Ugly” is presented by The Nature Conservancy, and produced by Tandem Stills + Motion, Inc. in partnership with Passion Pictures. It streams on Discovery +.

We talk with Ray Nayler about his novel of speculative fiction, The Mountain In The Sea. It was named by Slate Book Review as one of the Best Books of 2022. Then, we remember Victor Navasky, the long time editor of the Nation magazine. He died January 24 at the age of 90. We listen back to my 2006 interview with him about his memoir, A Matter of Opinion. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Ray Nayler We’ve all heard the classic question, is there other intelligent life in the Universe? But what about other intelligent life right here on Earth? Of course, we are already learning about the many forms of intelligence among the other animals we share our world with, from ants to whales. And some say plants also have consciousness and intelligence. But we’re really asking: is there any other species that matches us in complexity of thought and creativity? Could we be on the brink of inventing that species with the development of advanced Artificial Intelligence? And how would we respond to other intelligences, whether natural or human-made? Ray Nayler explores these questions In his brilliant and beautifully written novel of speculative fiction, The Mountain In The Sea. In a world where ocean life is under constant threat of extinction from human activity, a species of octopus with highly evolved intelligence— Octopus Sapiens, if you will — is discovered. One of the discoverers is the world’s only fully aware and self-conscious android, Evrim, a nonbinary being banished to an island marine refuge in the Con Dao peninsula of Vietnam after being rejected by the rest of humanity. Nayler’s novel questions society’s assumptions about human superiority and the right to dominate other species. It urges us to understand that we are connected to all the life around us, neither above or below, but in equal relationship to it. Ray Nayler’s critically acclaimed short fiction has appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of The Year’s Best Science Fiction. He has worked in the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps, including a stint as Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer at the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. He currently serves as the international advisor to the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Mountain and the Sea is his first full-length novel. Read more about Ray Nayler and his work Victor Navasky Long time Nation magazine editor Victor Navasky died January 24 at the age of 90. Navasky came to The Nation as editor in 1978, and was made publisher and general partner in 1995. He chaired the Columbia Journalism Review and was Director of the George Delacorte Center for Magazine Journalism. He was an editor for the New York Times Magazine, and a columnist for the Times’ Book Review. His book Naming Names won the National Book Award in 1982. We spoke with him in 2006 about his book, A Matter of Opinion. It’s a passionate, funny look at his life in journalism and at the field of magazine journalism in general.  

A landmark win under Pennsylvania’s Green Amendment to its constitution led Maya van Rossum to imagine much, much more. We talk with her about her book The Green Amendment: The Peoples Fight For A Clean, Safe, And Healthy Environment. Then, in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday this week, we re-air our 2018 interview with David Margolick about his book The Promise and the Dream. It’s about the connection between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy in the fight for civil rights. Writers Voice— in depth conversation with writers of all genres, on the air since 2004. Like us on Facebook at Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon, on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast or find us on Twitter @WritersVoice. Find Francesca at Love Writer’s Voice? Please rate us on your podcast app. It really helps to get the word out about our show. Maya K. Van Rossum On November 2, 2021, New Yorkers voted to amend the State’s constitution to enshrine into law each person’s “right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment.” With the adoption of this Green amendment, New York became the third state in the nation to include environmental rights in its Bill of Rights, following Pennsylvania (1971) and Montana (1972.) The movement to get a Green Amendment into New York’s constitution was spearheaded by the grassroots organization, Green Amendments For the Generations, founded by Maya K. van Rossum. The group is working to secure constitutional recognition and protection of environmental rights in every state and ultimately at the federal level. Van Rossum writes about the Green Amendment movement in her book, The Green Amendment: The Peoples Fight For A Clean, Safe, And Healthy Environment. Learn more about Green Amendments For the Generations David Margolick on Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy We honor Dr. King’s birthday by re-playing a long segment from our 2018 interview with David Margolick about his book The Promise and the Dream. It’s about a story that lay hidden until Margolick uncovered it: the relationship between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy and the crucial role that relationship payed in the passage of civil rights legislation in the US. Listen to the the entire interview here